TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Noah Fifita threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns, Kedrick Reescano ran for two scores and Arizona opened the season with a 35-7 blowout over Northern Arizona on Saturday night.
Coming off a nine-win season, the Wildcats (1-0) kicked off their third year under coach Brent Brennan with a dominating performance.
Fifita, the rare quarterback to play all five seasons with the same school, finished 22 for 29 before sitting out most of the fourth quarter. Arizona’s defense held Northern Arizona to 193 total yards — minus-seven rushing — and sacked Ty Pennington five times, including 2 1/2 by Chase Kennedy.
The Wildcats jumped on the Lumberjacks (1-1) early.
Fifita hit Tre Spivey on a 20-yard touchdown on Arizona’s opening drive and found Brandon Phelps on a 21-yard score in the second quarter. Fifita also had an 11-yard run, setting up Reescano’s 1-yard dive that put the Wildcats up 21-0.
Arizona’s only first-half offensive slipup: Giovanni Richardson lost a fumble at NAU’s 18 after a 31-yard gain.
Pennington completed his first six passes and was 12 of 18 for 142 yards in the first half, but was sacked three times and the Lumberjacks had minus-15 yards rushing.
Northern Arizona also turned the ball over on downs near midfield and Francisco Orduno Jr. missed a 34-yard field goal wide right just before halftime.
Antwan Roberts Jr. turned his first carry at Arizona into a 14-yard touchdown in the third quarter and Reescano added another 1-yard TD run to put Arizona up 35-0.
NAU’s Noble Young-Blackgoat intercepted Sawyer Anderson’s first collegiate pass in the fourth quarter and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown.
The Takeaway
Arizona: The Wildcats did what they were supposed to against an FCS opponent, setting up a showdown with No. 14 BYU next weekend.
Northern Arizona: The Lumberjacks, No. 22 in the FCS rankings, rallied from a 21-point hole to beat Eastern Washington 34-27 last week, but had no chance of digging out of a similar hole against the bigger, faster Wildcats.
Up Next
Northern Arizona hosts Incarnate Word next Saturday.
Arizona plays at No. 14 BYU next Saturday.
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